Bearing.



No. 633,774. Patented sept. 26, i899.

T. von zwElGBERGK.

BEARING.

(Application led Jan. 23, 1899.)

(No Model.)

mmlmn l we nonms PETERS ca. PHoYo-Lxfwo'. wAsHmnrou, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THORSTEN VON ZVEIGBERGK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,774, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed January 23, 1899. Serial No. 703,030. (No model.)

Beit known that I, THORSTEN voN ZWEIG- .BERGK, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bearings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of myinveution is to provide in a simple and efficient form a ball-bearing for bicycles. l provide a three-point bearing; and the invention is particularly concerned in the combinations of parts by which it may be adjusted and the means for retaining the balls when parts of the bearing are removed and in such disposition of the parts that a second set of rolling members, keeping the main balls separate, may be conveniently employed.

The drawings clearly illustrate my invention.

Figure lisa vertical central section through a hanger of a bicycle provided with my bearing. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the same, the section cutting through the shaft and the hub of the sprocket-support. Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the overlapping of the balls and the arrangement of their races, being a fragmentary enlargement of similar parts shown in Fig. l.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the crank-hanger, carrying at each end the ball-cups F and F. lVithin the crankhanger is the crank shaft B, to the ends of which are secured the crank-arms B B2. Screwing onto threads b and b' on the shaft by means of threaded hubs c c are the plates C and O', which have grooves c3, constituting part of the main ball-race. The plate O at the sprocket end of the hanger abuts against the rigid flange b2 on the shaft, and this plate acts as the hub or spider of the sprocket or driving gear D, which may be secured to the plate by screws d, takinginto ears c7 on the plate. Screwing into the hub c c' of the plates C C are the cones E E. These cones complete the three-point raceways, which are bounded by the cones, the plates C C', and the ball-cups F F', and confine the balls G. The outer walls of the grooves c3 do not touch the balls G, but come close to them, as shown by the plate and cone.

ing onto the shaft B, locks the plate O tightly in place, and also the cone E, which is turned back tightlyagainst the nut. At the other end of the shaft the cone E' is locked by a jam-n ut H', screwing on to the hub c'. This enables the plate O' and the cone E to be turned as a unit from the outside (as by a Spanner-wrench taking into recesses in the plate O) to finally adjust the bearing. This adjustment having been made, the plate C is locked by the external jam-nut J. The cup F has a flange f, extending over the plate O' to form a dustcap, while at t-he other end the plate O has the flange 0"", extending over the cup for a similar purpose.

The balls G, which roll between the cone, cup, and plate, as stated, are separated from each other by smaller balls K, which are confined by the plate C or C and the cone E or E'within their own raceway, but projectinto the main raceway sufficiently to prevent the balls G therein from contacting with each other. The balls K roll around the surface of a grooved ring L, which is quite loose on the hub of the plate, being loosely confined Now as the balls G revolve they cause the balls K to revolve; but while the proximate faces of the balls G are moving in the opposite direction (so that if these balls contacted they would grind upon each other) they both tend to give the balls K the same rotation, and therefore the balls G and the balls K simply roll and there is no rubbing of one upon the other. The ring L is caused by the balls K to rotate; but the friction of that ringwith the containing parts is insignificant, for it receives none of the thrust on the bearing, which is carried bythe main balls Gand the members composing the main ball-race and is held in equilibrium by the equal inward pressure of the balls K. These balls K are maintained equidistant by the balls G, and if there were no play in the bearing the ring L could be actually out of contact with its containing members, being held concentric with the main ball-race by IOO the two setsof balls. In order, however, that theballs K shall remainin their racesif there is considerable play, I choke the entrance tb that race by bringing the plate and cone closer together than the diameter of the balls beyond the center of the latter, as indicated by the reference-letters c2 e2.

It will be observed that the form of bearing shown is operative and advantageous without the separating balls and their rings, the weight upon the bearing being supported entire independently thereof; but the addition of these separating balls and rings operates to reduce the friction and wear by preventing the supporting rolling members from contacting with each other.

Having described -my invention, I claiml. In a bearing, in combination, a shaft, a grooved plate having a hub surrounding and secured to said shaft,'an adjustable cone screwing onto'said hub, a ring loosely surrounding the hub and loosely contined between the plate and cone, a set of rolling members surroundingsaid ring and contained between the plate and cone, a ball-cup, and a set of balls rolling between said cup and the grooved plate and the cone and separated from each other by the said rolling members, substantially as described.

2. In a bicycle, in combination, a hanger, a ballcup carried thereby, a shaft within the cup, a grooved plate having a hub screwing` onto said shaft, an adjustable cone screwingg onto the hub of the plate, a jam-nut locking said adjustable cone, aring` looselysurroundl from each other by the said set of rolling members, substantially as described.

In a bicycle, in combination, a hanger, a ball-cup carried thereby, a shaft within the cup, a plate secured to said shaft by having a hub screwing onto the same, a cone screwing onto said hub, a three-point raceway being thus provided by the plate the ball-cup and the cone, and balls rolling in said raceway, substantially as described.

4. In a bicycle, in combination, a hanger, a ball-cup carried thereby, a shaft within the cup, a grooved plate secured to said shaft, a cone carried by the shaft, there being thus provided a three-point raceway by the ballcup, the plate and the cone, and balls rolling in said raceway, the outer wall of the groove in the plate standing when the parts are in position a less distance from the cone thanis the diameter of a ballwhereby the balls may be retained within the raceway if the shaft,

plate and cone are removed from the hanger,

substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

'lHORS'IlhT YON ZWEIGBERGK.

Witnesses:

E. B. GILcHnrs'r, ALBER'r H. BATES. 

